Should there be a minimum price for alcohol?

Do readers believe that there should there be a minimum price for alcohol?
In our household, we drink modestly on most days and most of our friends do likewise. Like many mature folk, we do avoid going into town on Friday or Saturday nights because I don't want to experience the drunken youth "having fun".
When I was a teenager, if we misbehaved when drunk, we'd be arrested and held in the police cells until the Monday court hearing. The resulting fine would be painful and it acted as a deterrant. Now our government acts like the incompetent school teacher who finds it easier to cane the whole class rather than deal with the offender.
There was a recent case in which a shotgun owner murdered his partner and several members of her family. The politicians call for shotguns to be banned whereas the commonsense approach would be to ensure that people were only given a firearms certificate if found to be mentally fit. Certification should be withdrawn more readily when the police have reason to doubt a shotgun user's mental fitness. Another case of "cane the whole class".
A couple of years back, the Times published an obituary for commonsense. How true!

Do readers believe that there should there be a minimum price for alcohol?

In our household, we drink modestly on most days and most of our friends do likewise. Like many mature folk, we do avoid going into town on Friday or Saturday nights because I don't want to experience the drunken youth "having fun".

When I was a teenager, if we misbehaved when drunk, we'd be arrested and held in the police cells until the Monday court hearing. The resulting fine would be painful and it acted as a deterrant. Now our government acts like the incompetent school teacher who finds it easier to cane the whole class rather than deal with the offender.

There was a recent case in which a shotgun owner murdered his partner and several members of her family. The politicians call for shotguns to be banned whereas the commonsense approach would be to ensure that people were only given a firearms certificate if found to be mentally fit. Certification should be withdrawn more readily when the police have reason to doubt a shotgun user's mental fitness. Another case of "cane the whole class".

A couple of years back, the Times published an obituary for commonsense. How true!

Agree with you - a price rise will not stop those that want to drink from drinking. Look at cigarettes - they have gone up hugely yet people still smoke. Making a can of Special Brew 40p more expensive will not stop people drinking themselves into oblivion on it!!
Government should look at the root cause, rather than, as you say 'cane the whole class'

Agree with you - a price rise will not stop those that want to drink from drinking. Look at cigarettes - they have gone up hugely yet people still smoke. Making a can of Special Brew 40p more expensive will not stop people drinking themselves into oblivion on it!!

Government should look at the root cause, rather than, as you say 'cane the whole class'

The problem is with the supermarkets with their loss leading offers on alchohol.
Most kids today don't go to the more traditional pubs. Instead they preload on cheap supermarket booze and hit the town around 11pm for the all night bars/clubs.
So in the early hours onwards you get crowds of people in the town centres that are totally hammered.
Heavy drinkers as a whole will also head for the supermarkets.
As a result a whole generation have bypassed the more traditional pubs and this proportional drop in trade has meant that more pubs are are closing.
Naturally the Tories don't want to offend 'Lord Supermarket' with his donations to the party coffers, so the situation will continue.

The problem is with the supermarkets with their loss leading offers on alchohol.

Most kids today don't go to the more traditional pubs. Instead they preload on cheap supermarket booze and hit the town around 11pm for the all night bars/clubs.

So in the early hours onwards you get crowds of people in the town centres that are totally hammered.

Heavy drinkers as a whole will also head for the supermarkets.

As a result a whole generation have bypassed the more traditional pubs and this proportional drop in trade has meant that more pubs are are closing.

Naturally the Tories don't want to offend 'Lord Supermarket' with his donations to the party coffers, so the situation will continue.

Parallax kids can't afford £3.50 for a pint of beer in the pubs, at least that's what it costs here.
So cheap supermarket beer etc is a non brainer for most people. Can't blame people for saving money.

Parallax kids can't afford £3.50 for a pint of beer in the pubs, at least that's what it costs here.
So cheap supermarket beer etc is a non brainer for most people. Can't blame people for saving money.

Nope. Alcohol pricing is no entering the realms of tobacco procing - a faux health concern used to justify a rise in duty. After the fiasco that passed as a 'reasoned debate' on binge drinking and safe levels of alcohol, I am highly sceptical.
Will it change drinking habits? I don't think so - it is far too ingrained for that.
Does anyone know whathappens to the increased income from the forced price increase? Does the government pockets the additional cash as as a tax, or do the supermarkets keep the pressure on their suppliers for a low cost and then pocket the increased profits?

Nope. Alcohol pricing is no entering the realms of tobacco procing - a faux health concern used to justify a rise in duty. After the fiasco that passed as a 'reasoned debate' on binge drinking and safe levels of alcohol, I am highly sceptical.
Will it change drinking habits? I don't think so - it is far too ingrained for that.

Does anyone know whathappens to the increased income from the forced price increase? Does the government pockets the additional cash as as a tax, or do the supermarkets keep the pressure on their suppliers for a low cost and then pocket the increased profits?

[quote]Does anyone know whathappens to the increased income from the forced price increase? Does the government pockets the additional cash as as a tax, or do the supermarkets keep the pressure on their suppliers for a low cost and then pocket the increased profits?[/quote]
If it's true that big supermarkets really do fund the political party is most likely to be elected, the proposed measure could be a cunning move to increase profits. Have you noticed that supermarket profits are already at a record level, even though we're entering a triple-dip recession?

Quote:Does anyone know whathappens to the increased income from the forced price increase? Does the government pockets the additional cash as as a tax, or do the supermarkets keep the pressure on their suppliers for a low cost and then pocket the increased profits?

If it's true that big supermarkets really do fund the political party is most likely to be elected, the proposed measure could be a cunning move to increase profits. Have you noticed that supermarket profits are already at a record level, even though we're entering a triple-dip recession?

[quote]Parallax kids can't afford £3.50 for a pint of beer in the pubs, at least that's what it costs here.
So cheap supermarket beer etc is a non brainer for most people. Can't blame people for saving money.[/quote]
Heavy taxes are levied on beer sold in pubs, which supermarkets are exempt from.
Lower the taxes on beer in pubs and raise the price of alcohol in supermarkets.
Otherwise we won't have many pubs left at the rate they are closing.
Naturally this doesn't concern our political parties since the ****** get hammered on subsidised drink at the bars in Westminster.

Quote:Parallax kids can't afford £3.50 for a pint of beer in the pubs, at least that's what it costs here.
So cheap supermarket beer etc is a non brainer for most people. Can't blame people for saving money.

Heavy taxes are levied on beer sold in pubs, which supermarkets are exempt from.

Lower the taxes on beer in pubs and raise the price of alcohol in supermarkets.

Otherwise we won't have many pubs left at the rate they are closing.

Naturally this doesn't concern our political parties since the ****** get hammered on subsidised drink at the bars in Westminster.

Its a complex issue but I don't think pricing will make a difference. I do think it will make a difference to the rate of crime - I predict it will increase if the cost of alcohol increases. I also predict that it will make no real difference to the rate of alcoholism over time.
I feel for the alcohol dependance (not the average binge drinker) - if the illness of addiction wasn't bad enough, the government are effectively wanting to add substantially to the taxation applied.
Is the extra revenue that comes from this tax going to dealing with addiction and the problems associated to excess drinking - or is it going to help offset the deficit in the treasury... sorry to be so cynical.

Its a complex issue but I don't think pricing will make a difference. I do think it will make a difference to the rate of crime - I predict it will increase if the cost of alcohol increases. I also predict that it will make no real difference to the rate of alcoholism over time.

I feel for the alcohol dependance (not the average binge drinker) - if the illness of addiction wasn't bad enough, the government are effectively wanting to add substantially to the taxation applied.

Is the extra revenue that comes from this tax going to dealing with addiction and the problems associated to excess drinking - or is it going to help offset the deficit in the treasury... sorry to be so cynical.

[quote]What is the Unit that is referred to.
is it a pint, a litre, a can, a bottle or what ?[/quote]
One unit is whatever volume of product contains 10ml of pure alcohol. This is 25ml of normal spirits or 200ml of beer of 5% strength.

Quote:What is the Unit that is referred to.

is it a pint, a litre, a can, a bottle or what ?

One unit is whatever volume of product contains 10ml of pure alcohol. This is 25ml of normal spirits or 200ml of beer of 5% strength.